Transparent package

ABSTRACT

The package comprises an envelope of transparent plastic containing the articles to be packaged, and this envelope is heat-sealed, at one end, to a relatively rigid support member such as a cardboard card which has one surface coated with a plastic similar to that of the transparent envelope. Adjacent one narrow end, the card is formed with two wedge-shape openings, one adjacent each longer edge of the card, with the points of the wedges extending toward each other. This end of the card is also formed with a collar or flap which may be folded down over the plastic envelope and this flap has bevelled corners which, when the flap is folded down, coincide with the sloping sides of the wedge-shape slots, the ends of the flap coinciding with the outer ends of the slots. During heat sealing of the transparent envelope between the card and the flap, as by a pair of heat sealing dies, the sealing heat acts more quickly and readily on the material of the plastic envelope overlying the wedge-shape slots, so that these portions of the plastic envelope tend to shrink inwardly and are weakened, forming notches in the transparent envelope immediately adjacent the folded down flap or collar. These weakened portions of the transparent envelope, and particularly the notches formed due to the shrinkage of the material of the envelope, provide for easy separation of the transparent envelope from the support card when desired. The card may be formed with apertures or the like for cooperating with a dispensing member for dispensing the complete transparent package.

[451 Oct. 7, 1975 TRANSPARENT PACKAGE [75] Inventor: Joachim Hoppe, Munich, Germany [73] Assignee: G.A.O. Gesellschaft fur Automation und Organization mbH, Germany [22] Filed: Mar. 11, 1974 [21] Appl. No.: 450,206

2,723,077 ll/l955 Whitman 229/69 3,099,352 7/1963 Aven 206/466 3,161,347 12/1964 Hannon 229/69 3,353,661 11/1967 Membrino 229/69 3,458,037 7/1969 Larson 206/466 3,554,447 l/l97l Sebring 229/69 Primary Examiner-William I. Price Assistant Examiner-Bruce H. Bernstein Attorney, Agent, or FirmMcGlew and Tuttle [57] ABSTRACT The package comprises an envelope of transparent plastic containing the articles to be packaged, and this envelope is heat-sealed, at one end, to a relatively rigid support member such as a cardboard card which has one surface coated with a plastic similar to that of the transparent envelopeoAdjacent one narrow'end, the card is formed with two wedge-shape openings, one adjacent each longer edge of the card, with the points of the wedges extending toward each other. This end of the card is also formed with a collar or flap which may be folded down over the plastic envelope and this flap has bevelled corners which, when the flap is folded down, coincide with the sloping sides of the wedge-shape slots, the ends of the flap coinciding with the outer ends of the slots. During heat sealing of the transparent envelope between the card and the flap, as by a pair of heat sealing dies, the sealing heat acts more quickly and readily on the material of the plastic envelope overlying the wedge-shape slots, so that these portions of the plastic envelope tend to shrink inwardly and are weakened, forming notches in the transparent envelope immediately adjacent the folded down flap or collar. These weakened portions of the transparent envelope, and particularly the notches formed due to the shrinkage of the material of the envelope, provide for easy separation of the transparent envelope from the support card when desired. The card may be formed with apertures or the like for cooperating with a dispensing member for dispensing the complete transparent package.

4 Claims, 9 Drawing Figures 7 s 10\ a i 10 r N 4 l 1 U.S. Patent Oct. 7,1975 Sheet 1 of 2 3,910,413

A 2 5 l 5 4 z. 4 #4 Fig.1 i Fig. 2

US. Patent Oct. 7,1975 Sheet 2 of2 3,910,413

-14 gig 2 o o 1 0 0 T Fig.9

TRANSPARENT PACKAGE FIELD AND BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION The copending patent application S er. No. 380 616 relates to a package of transparent material for'packing flat goods, such as banknotes, with such transparent package thus being suitable for mechanical transportation and/or.for being singled or dispensed out of a pile. For this purpose, a transparent plastic bag is joined to a relatively stiff card-shaped support such a way that it is mounted thereon along only one narrow side, thus permitting the bag to be tilted upwardly for inspecting the packed goods from all sides. Mounting may be effected with the aid of a folding collar or flap of the support, with the edge thereof then serving as the pull-off edge. As disclosedin such copending application, that surface of the support engaged by the transparent plastic bag or envelope is coated with a plastic similar to that forming the transparent bag or envelope, so that the transparent envelope may be heat-sealed to its support by applying heat-sealing dies to the folded down flap and the' support having a narrow end of the transparent envelope inserted therebetween.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The invention has for its object to facilitate the pulling-off of the transparent envelope from its relatively rigid or stiff support. Accordingly, it is the object of the invention to provide a transparent package for flat goods, such as bank notes, which is suitable for permitting dispensing by a machine and/or the singling out from a stack (pile), with the transparent plastic bag or envelope enclosing the packed goods being joined to a relatively stiff card-shaped support member along a short edge by means of a folded down collar or flap. Securing of the envelope to its support is effected by heatsealing, with the surface of the support engaged by the envelope being coated with the same plastic material as used to form the transparent envelope, to facilitate heat-sealing.

In accordance with the invention, short preferabl wedge-shape slots are punched out of the relatively stiff card-shape support member adjacent its two longer edges and thus adjacent the longer edges of the transparent plastic bag or envelope. These slots extend along the pull-off edge of the folding collar or flap, with their tapered ends extending toward each other or toward the longitudinal center line of the support member.

The slots remain free or exposed after the collar or flap has been folded. In this way notches are formed in the longer edges of the envelope, immediately adjacent the folded down flap, during heat sealing, owing to the overheating of the transparent bag areas within the range of the punched-out slots of the support adjacent the longer edges of the plastic bag or envelope. This overheating results in a weakening of the transparent bag or envelope, which is made from a heat sealable plastic material. This weakening takes place within the entire zone of the punched-out portions or slots, and each weakened area thus represents a good tearing zone.

It is appropriate for the punched-out portions have a wedge-shape and for the pull-off edge of the folding collar or flap to be bevelled at both outer comers in such a way that the punched-out portions will remain free or exposed after the collar or flap hasbeen folded against the transparent envelope, the surface of the support engaged by the transparent envelope being coated with a plastic which is preferably the same as that from which the transparent envelope is formed.

For an understanding of the principles of the invention, reference will bemade to-the following description of typical embodiments thereof as illustrated in the accompanying drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 shows part of the card-shaped support member before the collar or flap has been folded,

FIG. 2 shows part of the card-shaped support-member after the collar or flap has been folded,

FIG. 3 shows a section taken along a line A A of FIG. 2,

FIG. 4 shows part of the age,

FIGS. 5, 6 and 8 show the card-shaped support member as provided with transportation and stacking aids,

FIG. 7 is a section taken along the line B B of FIG. 6, and

FIG. 9 is a section taken along the line C C of FIG.

finished transparent pack- DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS As in the mentioned copending application, the cardshaped support member 1 comprises a foldable. collar.

or flap 2 and is providedwith the transport holes'3 as well as with the additional punched-out portions or slots 4. The bevelled outercorners 5 of the collar or flap 2 are so designed that the punched out portions 4 will remain free or exposed-after the collar or flap has been folded, as may be seen from=FIG. 2. The surface of support member 1 to be engaged by the transparent envelope is coated with a heat sealable plastic which preferably is the same plastic as used to form the transparent bag or envelope.

The transparent-bag 6, of heat-sealable plastic material, is secured to the relatively stiff support member 1, which may be formed of cardboard or the like, by placing the bag 6 on'the support member 1 with a shorter edge adjacent the fold line of the flap 2. Thereafter, the flap 2 is folded down over the narrow edge of the plastic envelope 6, and securement is effected by heatsealing as by compressing the folded down flap 2 and the card 1, with the upper edge of the envelope 6 enclosed therebetween, between two heated sealing dies 7 and 8. As best seen in FIG. 3, the edges of the heatsealing dies 7 and 8 are aligned with the free edge 9 of the folded down flap 2. Also as best seen in FIG. 3, the punched-out portions or notches 4, in cooperation with the bevelled outer corners of flap 5 of the flap 2, leave areas in which the plastic bag or envelope 6 is completely exposed to the heat of the dies 7 and 8 without the interposition of any portion of the support member 1 with its flap 2.

Since, during compression of the parts by the heatsealing dies 7 and 8, the heat from the die needs a comparatively long time, in the region of the folded over flap or collar 2, to reach the plastic film of the transparent package or envelope 6, while, in the region of the punched openings or slots 4, the plastic bag or envelope is heated immediately, the plastic film of which the bag or envelope 6 is formed will be overheated in the region of the punched openings or slots 4, even though the heat sealing dies compress the parts only so long as is absolutely necessary for sealing the upper portion of the transparent bag'or envelope 6 between support 1 and the folded down collar or flap 2. Thus, in the region of the punched openings or slots 4, the plastic material of the bag or envelope 6 is fused more than necessary for mere sealing of the bag to its support, whereby, the edges of, the plastic film are drawn inwardly in the shape of a wedge, as indicated at 10 in FIG.'4, and the film thickness exhibitsa distinct weakening or thinning. These thinned zones at the punched out slots 4, particularly with the shrunken portions providing the notches 10, permits easy starting of a tear and separation of the plastic envelope or bag 6 from its support 1.

For reinforcing the support member 1, pot-shaped profiles 12( FIGS) or embossed grooves l 1 (FIG. 6) may be provided in the upper portion thereof. In addition to reinforcing the base or support member, 1, and thus permitting, under certain circumstances, better stacking and easier singling of the transparent package,

these measures also effect a raising of the transparent rest straight and with a large area on the package and not on the flap 2. Thus, if a respective lowermost transparent package is singled out or dispensed, any hooking together with the package thereabove is prevented.

The embossed grooves 13, provided according to FIGS. 8 and 9, and extending transversely in relation to the direction as indicated by the reference numeral 14,

effect a plane level face correction of the support mem her 1, coated with the plastics material'on one side, thus likewise facilitating the piling or stacking and singling-out or dispensing of the packages.

While specific embodiments of the invention have been shown and described in detail to illustrate the application of the principles of the invention, it will be understood that the invention may be embodied otherwise without departing from such principles What is claimed is:

1. In a transparent package for flat articles, such as bank notes, of the type consisting of a transparent bag of plastic material, for receiving the articles, and a rela-, tively stiff card-shape support base having a foldable flap at one narrower end and a coating of heat-scalable plastic on a surface to whichthe bag is attached, with the bag being attached at one narrower end to the base by folding of the flap over the bag and heat-sealing so that the outer edge of the flap serves as acpull-off edge: the improvement comprising, in combination, slot-like openings formed in said base adjacent the longer edges of said transparent bag for alignment with the outer edge of said folded-down flap and extending inwardly toward the longitudinal center line of said base and toward each other; said openings, during such heatsealing, exposing the corresponding areas of said bag to weakening by the sealing heat to facilitate pulling-off of said bag along said pull-off edge.

2. In a transparent package, 7 the improvement claimed in claim 1, in which said slot-like openings have a wedge-shape formation with their tapered ends extending toward each other 'with the bases of the wedge-shape formations being aligned with each other laterally of said base; the outer corners of said foldable flap being bevelled so as to extend parallel to the sloping edges of the respective wedge-shape formations so as to expose said slot-like openings when said flap is folded down.

3. In a transparent package, the improvement claimed in claim 2, in which said bevelled outer corners of said flap, when said flap is folded down, coincide with the sloping edges of the respective slot-like openings.

4. In a transparent package, the improvement claimed in claim 3, in which said hold down flap has end edges terminating said bevelled corners and extending perpendicular to said pull-off edge; said end edges, when said flap is folded down, being aligned with the wider ends of said wedge formations. 

1. In a transparent package for flat articles, such as bank notes, of the type consisting of a transparent bag of plastic material, for receiving the articles, and a relatively stiff card-shape support base having a foldable flap at one narrower end and a coating of heat-sealable plastic on a surface to which the bag is attached, with the bag being attached at one narrower end to the base by folding of the flap over the bag and heatsealing so that the outer edge of the flap serves as a pull-off edge: the improvement comprising, in combination, slot-like openings formed in said base adjacent the longer edges of said transparent bag for alignment with the outer edge of said foldeddown flap and extending inwardly toward the longitudinal center line of said base and toward each other; said openings, during such heat-sealing, exposing the corresponding areas of said bag to weakening by thE sealing heat to facilitate pulling-off of said bag along said pull-off edge.
 2. In a transparent package, the improvement claimed in claim 1, in which said slot-like openings have a wedge-shape formation with their tapered ends extending toward each other with the bases of the wedge-shape formations being aligned with each other laterally of said base; the outer corners of said foldable flap being bevelled so as to extend parallel to the sloping edges of the respective wedge-shape formations so as to expose said slot-like openings when said flap is folded down.
 3. In a transparent package, the improvement claimed in claim 2, in which said bevelled outer corners of said flap, when said flap is folded down, coincide with the sloping edges of the respective slot-like openings.
 4. In a transparent package, the improvement claimed in claim 3, in which said hold-down flap has end edges terminating said bevelled corners and extending perpendicular to said pull-off edge; said end edges, when said flap is folded down, being aligned with the wider ends of said wedge formations. 